will.i.am to mix tech know-how with banking at Britain's Atom

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Atom has hired pop star will.i.am as a strategic adviser to its board as the app-based bank seeks to grow.

Atom is the latest foray into digital technology for the rapper-turned-entrepreneur who has launched a smartwatch with Deutsche Telekom and partnered with tech giants Apple and Intel.

“The scale of Atom’s ambition to help people understand and manage their money better ... is awesome,” will.i.am, who rose to prominence with The Black Eyed Peas, said in a statement.

Atom, one of a number of new banks attempting to compete with Britain’s high street lenders by offering a faster, mobile-based service, said in a statement on Monday that will.i.am’s knowledge of technology would help it expand.